Paul McCartney live at Rio Tinto Stadium, Salt Lake City

Sir Paul McCartney performed before a sell-out crowd of 24,000 at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of his Up And Coming Tour.

The weather was warmer than McCartney's chilly concert in San Francisco three days previously. McCartney took off his collarless black jacket after the first few songs to reveal a pink shirt and braces. "Usually I keep my jacket on a little longer," he told the crowd, "But now it's coming off. And that's all that's coming off."

During the concert McCartney read out an audience-member's sign which evidently amused him. It read: "Paul, you're in Utah, marry us".

The Salt Lake City show was also the 200th that he has played with his current band. McCartney has been performing with Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (music director/keyboards), Rusty Anderson (guitar), Brian Ray (bass) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums) for eight years.

Paul McCartney, Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (guitar/bass guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums) have been touring together since 2002s Back In The World Tour. Over the last 8 years the band have travelled the world and played some groundbreaking and headline-making shows together. Stand out moments have included 2003’s performance to over 500,000 people outside the Coliseum in Rome and Paul’s first show in Red Square, Moscow. In 2004 the band gave the Glastonbury Festival its most legendary moment to date. 2005 saw Paul and the band making history again as he performed live to the International Space Station to wake-up NASA astronauts. 2008 saw a series of special one off concerts, headlining the Liverpool Sound concert at Anfield, the largest ever outdoor music event in Kiev, Ukraine, with over 500,000 people lining the streets to watch the show. A show in Quebec city’s national park, The Plains Of Abraham, to 300,000 people to celebrate Quebec’s 400th anniversary and September took them to Tel Aviv for Paul’s first ever concert in Israel. The Beatles were banned from performing there at the height of Beatlemania in the 60s. In 2009 Paul and the band toured US throughout the summer and Europe in the winter. The tour commenced with the inaugural run of shows at New York’s Citi Field Stadium, which was the site of the former Shea Stadium where The Beatles made history in 1965 when they played a concert that set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show. Critics hailed the Citi Field performances (seen by over 100,000 people) as the concert experience of a lifetime. 2009 ended with a sell-out show at London’s O2 Arena, Paul’s first ever concert at the legendary venue.

Speaking about the band Paul said: ‘The great thing is that we have grown into a band. It’s funny because I always felt we were a bunch of guys playing together and were very lucky because we made a good noise that we found ourselves excited to be in the middle of. Last year I just suddenly said to myself, “Wait a minute, you have been playing with these guys for, like, nine years now.” Whether you like it or not that makes you a band and that is the great thing. That is what happened to us, we have become a band almost without noticing.’

I loved it. My vocal cords, arms and legs? Not so much.
The set list was right down to a T.
When he played “Ram On,” (I was surprised, I don’t think that was set) I leaned over and shouted to my brother (yeah, you can’t whisper) “Do you think if we brought a sign that said, ‘Play “‘I’m Down,'” Paul,’ he would play it?
When he saw the “You’re in Utah” sign, he read it aloud, and I think he said, “All of you? Well, I AM in Utah…” That’s what I could make out, anyway.
Yeah, when he came out at 8:12, my brother and I stood on the chairs. But when he got to the “Rock Show” part of the “Venus and Mars/Rock Show” medley, somebody behind us informed us that we were not short enough to stand on the chairs. Yeah, we’re short, but not short enough.
Between “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and “Blackbird,” tall people in front of us sat down, so I was able to see half-an-inch-tall Paul AND the Jumbotrons. I sometimes picked up my brother by the waist so he could see, too. (I’m not taller than he is, he’s shorter than I am.) But then everybody stood up for “Something” and didn’t sit down. But when I stood on tiptoe, I could see mini-Paul.
Oh, yeah. I need to make something clear. During “Hey Jude” and “A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance” I kicked Polythene Dan’s (not his real name) BEHIND. He’ll tell you otherwise, of course. But that’s not true.
Also, during the “The End” solos, they showed the intro to Rock Band on the video screens behind Paul and his band.
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Okay, on to the rambling. I’m typing with one hand, so forgive me if the following has errors. (You’ll find out why later on.)

So. When I got to the concert, my dad was being super annoying. He was complaining about the heat, and the sun, and how Paul hadn’t come out yet. The people sitting around us were such BORES, they were horrible. This put me in a small funk.

Then, Paul came on. I started weeping like a fangirl. People stared, but i didn’t care. It was really incredible how great I felt when Paul came on. The cheering, the fog; everything was perfect at that very moment, and I was really, genuinely happy. I just thought to myself, “Wow. That’s Paul effin’ McCartney.”

Guess that’s the Beatles for you. 😉

The concert was great, I stood up the whole time and danced to every song. I was the only person singing along to the “Fireman” songs, where I was/.

It’s really sad how some people just go to concerts just TO go to concerts, you know? A concert is a wonderful, rare and precious thing to a lot of people. It just bugs me how a large percentge of the people who attend concerts aren’t even having a good time, when others who adore the music aren’t able to go.

Aanyhow, at the end of the concert, before the first of the encoresd, People started to leave, so my dad and I moved up a couple of rows. The people sitting *there* were horribly bland, as well.

Right before Paul played “Lady Madonna”, I yelled, “I LOVE YOU PAULIE!” from my seat, and he made a funny face. It was so groovy, I couldn’t believe it.

I heard “Get Back” for the first time ever at the concert; I’ve been restraining from hearing it all my life, for childish reasons 😛 , but I couldn’t escape from it this time. I think it was a good first listen, though. I learned the chorus pretty fast.

When he started to play the Sgt. Pepper reprise, I’d gotten tired of being the only one standing, swaying, and shaking it, so I told the people behind me to “stand up, guys! How can you not dance to this?” They probably felt weird that a teenager was telling them what to do, but they eventually stood up, and we rocked out.

Last night, my wrist was hurting, but I ignored it, since I thought it was just because I was tired. This morning, after I slept for about three hours 😛 , I went to tennis, and I was picking up my racket when I felt agonizing pain in my wrist. I went to the hospital, and found that I had torn a tendon at the concert. I have no idea how it happened. It’s mild, but I still thought that was reeally cool. It may seem weird, but I think that’s an awesome way to remember things; injuries. And surgeries because of those injuries. And what’s better than tearing a tendon at a Paul McCartney concert?

The entire concert just seemed so surreal, and I’m really glad I was able to go. (Wish me luck at surgery!)

Top Ten Club

Can buy me love

The Beatles Bible is run for the love of anything and everything to do with The Beatles. If you've learned something new about the band and wish to show your appreciation, why not make a small donation via PayPal? It'll help with server costs, research material etc...